Dispensing device for liquid detergent compositions

Abstract

A liquid-permeable dispensing device having a hollow body, a base, and a liquid-permeable sidewall to substantially retain a liquid detergent composition until the operation of the wash cycle of an automatic dishwashing appliance.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Patent Application No. 60 / 423,300, filed Nov. 1, 2002.FIELD OF INVENTION [0002] A liquid-permeable dispensing device for accommodating a liquid detergent composition is provided which is designed to be placed in an automatic dishwashing appliance. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The advent of high performance dishwashing products, stimulated in part by increased aesthetic and sanitary standards and a demand for shorter wash times has generally been characterized by the development of more complex detergent compositions, which are more hazardous to the consumer, less stable, and more difficult to dissolve in a satisfactorily uniform manner. The availability of high performance products has led to many different methods for dispensing detergent compositions. [0004] One approach to dispensing detergent compositions in conventional domestic, industrial and institutional automa...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015] The liquid-permeable dispensing device may be adapted to retain a unit dose of a highly viscous liquid, liquid gel or gel detergent composition throughout the prewash cycle and dispense the composition during the wash cycle of an automatic dishwashing appliance. The dispensing device may be a rigid structure comprising a hollow body having at least one opening to allow the introduction of a liquid detergent composition into the dispensing device, a base to cradle the liquid detergent composition, and a liquid-permeable sidewall to

Problems solved by technology

The advent of high performance dishwashing products, stimulated in part by increased aesthetic and sanitary standards and a demand for shorter wash times has generally been characterized by the development of more complex detergent compositions, which are more hazardous to the consumer, less stable, and more difficult to dissolve in a satisfactorily uniform manner.

One problem associated with dispensing the more complex detergent compositions is related to differential solubility of the detergent components.

Often this leads to incomplete delivery of the detergent composition to the wash tank, leaving the less soluble residues in the dispensing device itself while delivering the more soluble components to the wash tank.

The problem with current dispensing devices, be they automatic or freestanding, is that the dispensing device design does not for allow optimum delivery of highly viscous liquid, liquid gel or gel detergent compositions to the wash tank during the wash cycle of the automatic dishwashing appliance.

When used in such dispensing devices, the highly viscous liquid, liquid gel or gel detergent compositions often tend to remain as residues in the dispensing device well after the optimum delivery time, and many times the residues are not delivered to the wash tank at all.

This residue problem is inefficient, a cleanup nuisance and has a negative aesthetic impact on the consumer, who sees detergent residues as an indicator of an incomplete washing cycle.

Alternatively, when used in such dispensing devices, a less viscous liquid or gel detergent composition or product often dissolves prematurely during the prewash cycle, which is often shorter and colder than wash cycles in most automatic dishwashing appliances.

Some dispensing devices may occasionally become detached from and overturned in the interior of the automatic dishwashing appliance during the wash cycle of this machine.

Dishes and / or cutlery may also inadvertently move inside the automatic dishwashing appliance during the wash cycle and cause the detachment of the dispensing device.

The contents of the dispensing device will escape if the dispensing device substantially deviates from its upright position leading to inefficient timing in the delivery of highly viscous liquids, liquid gels or gel detergent compositions.

Furthermore, the dispensing device may melt if it falls on the heating elements during operation of the automatic dishwashing appliance if the dispensing device is detached or disengaged from its point of attachment.

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